Lighting our candles in solidarity with the Jewish community
Christians United for Israel expresses our solidarity with the Jewish community in Australia and around the world, following the abhorrent antisemitic terror attack at the Hanukkah gathering in Bondi, Sydney. We are absolutely heartbroken for all those who have lost loved ones. Fifteen members of the Jewish community were murdered – the youngest named so far was 10; the eldest was a Holocaust survivor. We strongly condemn this Islamist attack and pray for every family that is mourning and for the recovery of all those hospitalised.
The first day of Hanukkah should have been a joyful celebration. It is unfathomable that Jewish families in 2025 are not able to gather for a peaceful celebration without being gunned down by antisemitic monsters. We recall just a few months ago here in the UK, a terror attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester on the first day of Yom Kippur – another Jewish festival. The Manchester and Sydney attackers chose their dates deliberately to send a clear message to the world – this is an attack on Jews and everything Jews believe in and stand for. As illustrated by the Bondi attack, the darkness was attempting to wipe out the Light – but it will not win. We must not let it win.
Why then has darkness been allowed to be paraded on the streets of Sydney and other world cities with calls to ‘globalise the intifada’? Why did authorities allow an anti-Israel march of thousands of haters descend on the Sydney Opera House chanting not just anti-Israel, but vulgar anti-Jewish slogans. In the past year, Australia has seen an exponential increase in antisemitism, as reported in articles by CUFI. In fact, in August Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his Australian counterpart of the threat to Jewish lives if the antisemitic hatred is not stopped, citing Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state as being a catalyst for the escalation.
Watching the disturbing footage of the Bondi terrorists caught on video, one cannot help but draw comparison to footage of the perpetrators of October 7th, who possessed a similar calm callousness by which they gunned down their victims. The comparisons do not stop there: the evil motivation is the same – to kill all Jews simply for being Jewish. This is what was meant by ‘globalise the intifada’.
We are praying for Australia and for Western governments, including our own, that they will have boldness to speak out against this evil and take action. Antisemitism must be rejected in all its forms.
The Bible says that the Light must have no fellowship with darkness. As Christians, we have an important role to be Light. Please join us in lighting a candle throughout this Hanukkah, both in memory of those who were murdered; in solidarity with the Jewish people that Light will overcome darkness, and as a personal dedication that you will not allow the Jewish people to stand alone.
Let us continue to pray for Israel and the Jewish community, and not be silent ‘for Zion’s sake’.
